Newspaper Column – The Cornishman – 28/07/25
- Parliament is now in recess till 1st September. So, MPs have a chance to attempt a catch up on constituency business. It’s also great to secure more family time, when I can focus on my exalted domestic functions as top clown in the children’s entertainment department, general dogsbody and man-slave. And I can enthusiastically resume DIY projects where my (“Tries hard. Could do better”) bodge-it & splodge-it standards strangely result in family petitions for the urgent recall of parliament!
I’ve already met local NFU reps on a local farm, visited Godolphin Cross Community Association, met Cornwall Parent Carers, the ICB, held an extensive casework surgery in St Ives, have a Ministerial visit, and more. Though I’ve a full diary, please contact my office if you’d like to invite me to (or want me to avoid!) your community/event.
- “Why doesn’t Starmer do more to stop the slaughter, the starvation, the genocide in Gaza?” I’m often asked.
Well, it’s:
- fear of Trump and
- fear of accusations of antisemitism.
Let me explain…
- Our PM feels he needs to appease Trump. Not just to secure a decent trade deal, and to avoid penal tariffs, but also because he feels burdened by the weight of responsibility as a diplomatic bridge between a notoriously petulant and narcissistic US President and fellow world leaders. (Netanyahu’s government depends on US backing, and Trump is a loyal backer of the far-right politics of the Israeli regime).
- I’ll stick my neck out and accuse the far-right Netanyahu regime of perpetually weaponising antisemitism to defend themselves from criticism. Not only does this undermine actual antisemitism, which remains a pernicious and terrifying threat to Jews throughout the globe, and a very real prejudice which must be faced down by all decent people. It has also paralysed some decent people from being more robust in their criticism of Netanyahu and his acolytes, who have brought shame on Israel, a reputation as a pariah state, with an army no better than the terrorists they purport to oppose, and undermining the good people of that country. Starmer has become highly sensitised to the risk of being accused of antisemitism, especially after the media feeding-frenzy in the recent past, when accusations of antisemitism overwhelmed the previous leadership.
So, our PM has been pushed into a corner, unable to act as I believe the majority of decent people in this country want him to. To stop this appalling slaughter and starvation. To clearly recognise the state of Palestine. To be more forceful in his demand for a ceasefire and the return of all hostages from both sides (and to stop Netanyahu using hostages as a pretext for his murderous campaign). To impose trade sanctions on Israel. To stop ALL arms supplies. To support UN and criminal court resolutions.
I’m not excusing the PM. Just attempting to reasonably explain.